Men's Basketball | 1/20/2019 10:29:30 AM

Each week David Boyce, the MIAA’s featured writer, will cover a key match-up in one of the conference’s sports. In this MIAA Showcase, David Boyce covers the NCAA Division II Men's Basketball Showcase Game between Washburn and Fort Hays State in Topeka, Kansas.

TOPEKA, Kan. - Washburn men’s basketball team showed its resolve when it blew a 12-point lead early in the second half, fell behind by seven points to Fort Hays State late in the game and found a way to pull out an 80-73 victory Saturday evening at Lee Arena.

A 10-0 run that started with about 5 minutes remaining was pivotal in the Ichabods improving to 13-3 overall and 6-1 in the MIAA. Fort Hays dropped to 12-5 and 6-2.

A week ago, Washburn suffered its only conference loss at Northwest Missouri State.

“It was great to play Northwest,” said Washburn senior David Salach, who finished with a game-high 24 points. “They are the number two team in the nation, and we think we are right there. We got to see where we need to go to make a run at a conference title and even into postseason play.”

Washburn was cruising when it scored the first five points in the second half and built a 43-34 lead.

Before it got too much worse, Fort Hays called a time out. Initially, it didn’t help. A long three-pointer by Washburn sophomore Tyler Geiman gave Washburn a 48-36 lead with 15:55 remaining.

“We started off with a couple of guards hitting some big shots early,” Salach said. “It sparked us to a big lead early in the second half. They made their run on us. We knew that was going to happen. We had to stick together. We kept fighting and it came out our way in the end.”

Five minutes later, Fort Hays took its first lead in the second half. A three-pointer by senior Marcus Cooper, who finished with 21 points, gave the Tigers a 54-53 lead. It grew to 63-56.

And just when it seemed Fort Hays had control of the game with a 67-60 lead, Washburn stormed back and closed to 67-66 on a three-point play Salach with 3:32 left.

“Everybody was playing well,” Salach said. “We moved the ball and ran our offense. We didn’t get away from who we are as a team.”

A basket by Washburn senior Javion Blake with 3:05 left put the Ichabods ahead for good at 68-67. Washburn solidified its lead on two free throws by sophomore Will McKee, who finished with 13.

“Coach kept calling on our seniors. We have been here before,” said Washburn guard Javion Blake, who finished with 19 points. “We were just trying to lead the younger guys. This was really their first big home game in front of TV, and Fort Hays being tied for second. It was a big game for us.”

Washburn coach Brett Ballard was happy with the win. He wished the Ichabods didn’t give up a double-digit lead in the second half and fall behind.

“I’d preferred we kept the lead and my heart would be in much better shape,” Ballard joked.

“With about 6 minutes left, Fort Hays had the momentum and the arena was kind of dead. That game could have gone either way. I am really proud of how our team, especially our seniors, really stepped up the last five or six minutes in the game. They got stops when we needed to get stops and offensively, we made plays we needed to make.”

The Ichabods closed out the game by making their free throws and playing tough defense.

“It was going back and forth because Fort Hays is a great team,” Salach said. “We had three really tough battles with them last year. We knew they were going to come back tougher this year. They are great from their bigs to their guards.”

Back-to-back baskets by Blake gave the Ichabods a slim 38-34 halftime lead in a half that went back and forth.

Midway through the first half, Fort Hays held a slight advantage, grabbing a 25-21 lead. At that point, momentum swung back in the favor of the Ichabods. Washburn went on a 9-2 run to move back in front 32-27. A couple of minutes later, Fort Hays was within two points at 34-32. The Tigers tied the game 34-34 on a field goal by Cooper.

Providing some of the offense for Washburn in the first half was Salach, who made five of his six shots and scored 11 points.

Countering Salach’s output was Fort Hays senior forward Brady Werth, who made five of seven shots for 10 points. Werth finished 20 points.

“We just tried to stay composed,” Blake said. “We knew if we kept battling and kept battling our shots would fall in the end.”